Drop Out
by staceycj
Summary: The story of how and why Dean Winchester dropped out of school and got his GED Teen Sam and Dean


Beverly McGee was waiting patiently for her next student to arrive. She had called him out of class roughly twenty minutes ago and still hadn't seen the tall boy that had just moved into the system.

She sighed and sat back in her chair, looking at the calendar on her desk she smiled, only three months left until retirement, then she could find herself on a beach somewhere, with her husband, and not sitting here getting ready to tell a student that there is no way in hell he can graduate and that he would be better off getting his GED because, well, with the amount of credits he had missing he would be close to 21 when he would graduate from regular school, and that was saying that he passed every class from now until then. And the boy's track record suggested that, perhaps, that wasn't a likely goal.

She was about to give up on the young man when the door to the office opened and a tall, strikingly handsome young man entered the room. He was trying to be cocky, trying to keep the swagger in his movements, a know-it-all smile pasted to his lips. All of it was an act, an act that she had seen from time to time as young men, who had more issues than a newspaper, walked into her office, and she had to tell them the same thing. She predicted that this smile would light up the room and he would ask promptly who he had to see to sign out of this damn joint. She fortified herself for this talk.

He knocked lightly on her door and peeked his head in. "Mrs. McGee?" he asked.

"Dean Winchester?" he nodded and came inside holding the hall pass he had been given. "Please sit down Mr. Winchester." He did as instructed. "Mr. Winchester, we need to discuss graduation."

"The end of this year, and I'll be out of your hair."

"Actually, that can't happen."

"What?" His face fell, and that shocked her. Kids like him normally could have cared less if they graduated, they just wanted to get the hell out of dodge as quickly as possible, and usually giving them an out like this made them so happy they floated out of her office. But instead of excitement, he looked crestfallen, like she had just kicked his pet.

"I just received your weighty transcripts." She said and opened his file.

"I get Ds. I pass my classes." He said in his defense.

"I know you do sweetie." She said as she looked over his long string of Ds and recommendations for special education that were never looked into. She looked back up at him, and he was sitting on the edge of his seat and his eyes were wide and the iris were glittering emerald green. "But, you haven't had enough of those classes, you only have enough credits to be a sophomore, and you only got that much after you completed last semester at your old school."

Dean licked his lips and nodded, looked down at his hands, and then back up at Mrs. Mcgee. "You guys don't want me here anymore. Right? That's what this is about? I mean, today is my 18th birthday, so I would guess that this is why we are having this conversation today."

"Sweetie…."

"I'll leave. Don't worry. I'll go pick up my stuff, and get out of everyone's hair." He started to stand.

"Wait." He turned to her, and she stood and came around the desk to stand next to him. "I didn't tell you this because we don't want you here, I told you because I wanted to give you options."

"Options? What options are there for people like me? Go get a job at a fast food place, or maybe go see if they need any good strong backs to lay bricks or something. I get it. You don't have to spell it out for me, I'm not that dumb."

"I want you to take the GED, get your high school equivalency." Dean starred at her hard, and eyes that moments ago were sad were now angry and disgusted. She wanted to turn away, but instead she went to her book case and pulled out a GED study guide and handed it to him. He took it reluctantly. "I really think this would be best for you Dean."

"Whatever." He said flippantly and left the room, slamming the door in his wake. Beverly's whole body shrunk. She didn't go into this job to do damage, to kill self-esteem. She had become a guidance counselor to help, to guide these young people in the right direction. Watching Dean Winchester walk out of her office made her question just how many of those kids that she had previously thought were happy to be told to go get their GED had just affixed a devil may care attitude and really and truly been hurt. She sat down at her desk and looked at her count down to retirement and questioned whether she deserved to be without a care in the world laying on a beach with her husband now.

***

John Winchester got home from the hunt earlier than expected, and came back to an empty apartment. Doors were locked, salt was around all entrances, and there was even a Dean style booby trap waiting for anyone or anything who wanted to enter his home. John smiled with pride. Dean hadn't exactly been on his game in the last couple of years, letting Sam run away and all, but he was certainly trying everything in his power to make up for his mistakes, and John was more than willing to let him do just that. If Dean making amends meant hyper vigilance, then putting a little guilt trip or pressure on the kid wasn't such a bad thing after all.

He just popped a beer when Dean opened and closed the door. "School over so soon?" he asked and looked down at his watch. Dean winced, knowing that there wasn't any way that he could cover up the fact that he was home at one in the afternoon.

"Yeah I'm home."

John suddenly realized that Sam wasn't with him, and his eyes grew dark. "Where's your brother?"

"School."

John walked several steps closer to his eldest son, setting the bottle of beer on the counter as he moved out of the kitchen. Dean fought to stay put, fought to hold his ground and not run away like a little girl. "Why aren't you with him?"

"I…"

"Don't' lie to me Dean."

Dean looked up and then back down. The humiliation that this day had bred just wouldn't end. "I dropped out of school."

John Winchester felt his blood race, felt the anger bubble towards his mouth and finally he yelled, "What in the hell do you mean that you dropped out of school?!"

Dean shuffled his feet for a second and then looked his father in the eye, willing himself to conduct himself like a man and not like the sad little boy he felt like. "Was called to the guidance office and she suggested that I drop out and get my GED."

"Wow, you must be a real pain in the ass for them to ask you to leave."

Dean bit his bottom lip and tried to look his father in the eye. "I didn't…"

"Don't' lie to me." John yelled loud enough for the people next door to pound on the door and yell "Hey buddy! Quiet down!" John hung his head, gritted his teeth, straightened up, looked at Dean and shook his head. "I can't believe you Dean. Can't you hold it together just once? Can't you be responsible for once? You always screw up Dean. And this is no exception. You don't see anyone trying to kick Sammy out of school. Why can't you be more like your brother?!" John turned and grabbed his beer again and looked at Dean with mild disgust. "Do you know how disappointed your mother would be in you?" Dean's eyes got wide and they began to water. John instantly regretted the last comment. Dean just turned, and left the apartment silently.

***

Sam found Dean sitting on a bench in front of the school, looking over a book. Sam found it odd that his brother was out of school before him and that he was reading. Sam sighed. Dean must have gotten suspended again.

"What did you do this time Dean?" Sam asked and glared at his brother. Teenage angst and attitude had kicked in somewhere between Sam's 13th and 14th birthday, and Dean silently mourned the little boy who used to respect him, who didn't run away, and could be trusted to always be there.

"Nothin'." Dean said.

"Oh come on. You're out early. You got suspended again didn't you? Why do you always have to be so difficult Dean? Huh? I like it here. I don't' need you screwing it up for me."

"I didn't get suspended Sammy, I won't ever get suspended again. I dropped out of school." Sam looked up at his brother and shook his head in disgust.

"What's wrong with you Dean? You stupid?"

"I just don't want to be in school anymore. It's stupid. No point. I get all of my education out in the world, killing things."

"What a useful education." Dean looked away from his younger disappointed brother. "What are you going to do for the rest of your life Dean? It's not like you can hunt the rest of your life. You'll find the thing that killed mom then what? Go work in a factory? God Dean, think a little would you." Sam hurried off ahead of his older brother, away from the screw up from the family, fast enough that it seemed like he was afraid stupid was catching.

***

No one spoke to Dean that night, they allowed him to cook supper like he always did, they even allowed him to eat with them, but Sam and their dad spoke to each other and never looked in his general direction. So, he hunched over his plate, looked down at the poorly cooked meal and shoveled it into his mouth as quickly as he could.

Dinner was sort of quiet and he cleaned up the dishes by himself, and then he sat down at the table with the GED book that Mrs. McGee had given him to study from. Sam shook his head and glared in disgust at his older brother when he realized what he was reading.

"I don't need this." Dean said and slammed the heavy book. "I don't need you of all people looking at me like I'm a moron. I'm not you know. I didn't want to drop out of school, but since today was my 18th birthday and I didn't have enough credits to graduate, they suggested that I just leave. You know, I didn't do anything. I was doing my best in my classes, I was staying out of trouble, I wasn't talking to people, I wasn't making out with any girl, I wasn't doing anything wrong. I was just doing my best. I wasn't' going to screw this up for you Sam. I didn't decide to do this. I thought you of all people knew me better than that." And Dean stood, took the GED book and left the apartment.

***

Dean didn't speak to anyone for the next week. He walked Sam to school, walked him home, took care of the house, helped their dad with research for the next hunt, did laundry, did everything he always had done, but instead of watching television when the night was through, he would go to the Impala, which was his now once their father realized that Dean's birthday had come and pass, sit in the back seat and study that GED book like it was the holy grail, or it would find their mother for them. Sam watched his brother through the window and felt shame. Nothing ever came easy for his brother, and this time, he had aided in making things more complicated.

One night after Sam had gone to the guidance counselor and asked when the GED test was, and she shared that it was the following day, he went out to the car and opened the door and got into the back seat. "You want me to quiz you?"

"Naw. You have an honors math class to study for. I'm fine." Dean said.

"The test is tomorrow, you always help me when I have a big test."

"Doesn't matter Sammy, if I get it I get it, if I don't it doesn't matter, not like I'll need it for a job. Not like I'll ever get a real job. I'm just taking it because that old woman at school shoved it in my hands and told me to." Sam saw the lie for what it was, and refused to get out of the car. "Sammy, go, go in the house. You have classes to study for." And that was how it always was. Dean encouraging Sam to be his best at everything, and the rest of them beating Dean down. And it had taken Dean dropping out of school for Sam to see that.

***

Dean entered her office again two weeks after she told him it would be best to drop out of school. He gave her sad tired eyes and handed her the GED book that she had given him.

"Thanks."

"How'd the test go?"

"Who cares? It's been taken. Nothing I can do about it now. I can flunk, pass whatever, it doesn't matter. Not like I'll…." He stopped before he could say what he really wanted to say. _It's not like I'll be able to walk with my class, throw a cap in the air, or even get to walk across a stage and hear my name, my real name, be called. _ But she heard it loud and clear.

"You do, I think." He shrugged.

"Thanks for the book."

"You're quite welcome." He nodded and left.

***

_**4 years later.**_

"Dad we are staying right here, and you will be at Sammy's graduation."

"Dean…it doesn't matter, the school will mail his diploma to him."

"He wants to go."

"We don't all get what we want."

"Sam deserves to get this. He's worked hard for it."

"You didn't go."

Dean stopped and looked hard at his father, defiance springing to his eyes. "I didn't have one, because I was bounced around to so many different schools that I didn't have credits enough to graduate. It doesn't mean that I wouldn't have liked to have a party, a ceremony a pat on the back or whatever. Sam and I are staying. You come, don't' come, I don't' care, but Sam and I are staying for his graduation." John Winchester looked at his 22 year old son and saw the fierceness in his eldest's eyes and was taken aback.

"Fine. You and Sam stay. I've got to go and see to the lead on your mother's killer." And John Winchester closed the discussion with a slam of the door.

Dean turned around and was startled to see Sam standing in front of him. Floppy hair covering his eyes. "We're staying Sammy." Dean said and walked past his taller younger brother.

"Dean…"

"Don't' Sam. No chick flick moments." He said trying to wave it off.

"Dean…thank you." Sam finally managed.

Dean shrugged and smiled. "Some things are more important that fighting things that go bump in the night. You only get one chance to graduate from high school Sammy. You deserve it."

"Thanks." Sam said and remembered back to those days of Dean's GED, the only ceremony he had received was a "good job" and then it was back to researching the latest and greatest hunt. No party, no ceremony, no anything. Sam looked down at his hands and for the first time in his life really realized what his brother had sacrificed. "Mom would be proud of you Dean." Sam mumbled and wished that he had the balls to say that to Dean.


End file.
